Fujifilm has been one of the few brands that has pushed digital cameras to new height. The company introduced models such as X half, GFX series, and X Pro series, amongst others, which have become users favorite. While their current trajectory is fun, their past is just as interesting. Today, we look one such camera that was launched in 2009, but needs a comeback: FinePix Real 3D W3.
The Fujifilm FinePix 3D is a camera that shoots stereoscopic 3D photographs and video. What’s more interesting is that one can view them easily, without the use of glasses, thanks to built-in screen and can be seen on 3D TVs as well. This was also the world’s first imaging system to do so. This was the first camera that could record 3D videos at 720p and stereo audio.
How did it function, you may think? Well, with its 3D two-shot function, the device shifts to take the second shot, and saves image as 3D manually in the storage. It allows you then to edit the photos later. With it’s interval shooting mode, you can take two images, from different points continuously. This can be helpful when capturing images of long-distance views. It also had Parallax Control, which helps to adjust the 3D images manually.
The Fujifilm camera offered two lenses, which were offset left-to-right by a baseline to mimic the same distance as between human eyes. While it offered 3D features, it was also not forgetting 2D photographers. It had Advanced 2D mode that allows dual capture, which allows you to shoot two different shots in one go. There was also the ability to shoot telephoto+wide at the same time, without much hassle. You can also choose different tonalities for the images as well.
There was also a Sensitivity Mode, which allowed you to take images with different settings such as image stabilization priority and picture quality priority. This helps one to save time when making images outdoors. Some of its specifications include:
- Dual 10MP CCD sensors, 1/2.3-inch
- Twin 3x optical zoom lenses (35-105mm equivalent, f3.7–4.2)
- Dual lenses placed 64mm apart, simulating the distance between human eyes
- 3.5-inch LCD, 1.15 million dots, glasses-free 3D viewing
- 720p HD stereoscopic video with stereo audio
- 3D-AVI file format for 3D TV playback via HDMI
- Dual capture modes: simultaneously shoot two photos at different colour settings, sensitivities, or zoom lengths with a single shutter press
- Auto parallax control with manual fine-tuning lever
- Weight: 230g
This was the first camera that could record 3D videos at 720p and stereo audio.
The W3 faded away as 3D TVs began to phase out. One could say it displayed the trends of 2009, which was also the time when Avatar was launched and the 3D craze was pretty huge. However, the world is different now, with Apple being one of the few companies trying to bring back VR sets and spatial computing into users’ photos. One could say the Fujifilm camera arrived too soon, but today, with digital interactions becoming spatial and AR-friendly, a camera like this has a chance to survive.
In more recent times, we have seen creators on Kickstarter create 3D cameras such as RETO3D. While the cameras have been exactly as famous due to their niche use, an offering from Fujifilm can truly be different.
With technology becoming better, it makes much more sense to have a camera that can be of help for users as well. It will be quite sad to see a technology go away so quickly.